“I saw one team get their ass kicked,” said the Golden State head coach. “That’s what I saw.”
The Warriors were outscored in every quarter and managed only 14 points in the final frame.

Defensively, they struggled to stay mentally engaged. Utah (22-28) shot 58 percent from the field. Jazz forward Joe Ingles went for 20 points and was 6-for-8 from downtown. Kevin Durant repeatedly lost Ingles, and it cost his team. Utah’s Ricky Rubio finished with 23 points and 11 assists, while rookie guard Donovan Mitchell added 20 points.
Steve Kerr was critical of the Warriors after a 30-point loss in which they committed 20 turnovers and shot just 5-of-25 from 3-point range. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
“I think our guys will tell you that was a pathetic effort out there,” Kerr said. “That was disgusting basketball.

“We just didn’t start out the game with any force defensively. We weren’t staying into bodies, they were just stopping behind screens, we were lazy on our switches. We played with no sense of urgency, no sense of purpose, and they’re obviously fighting for the playoffs.”

The Jazz are 3½ games back for the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference standings.

Durant, who registered 17 points on 5 of 13 shooting, owned up to his mental blunders.

“I can’t let Joe Ingles get loose on 3s like that and expect us to play well on the road, especially in here,” he said. “I got to start off the game better if we want to win games.”

Klay Thompson and reserve center JaVale McGee were the Warriors’ only bright spots. Thompson had a game-high 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting, and McGee contributed 14 points on 7-of-8 from the floor.

Excluding their contributions, the Warriors shot 33 percent for the evening on 20-of-60 from the field.

The Warriors were 5-for-25 from beyond the arc, equating to 20 percent shooting. It was their second-worst mark of the season. They shot 11 percent from 3 (3-of-27) against the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 23.

“I asked Draymond [Green] on the bench in the fourth quarter if he could remember that bad of a performance that we’ve had in recent memory, and we really can’t,” said Stephen Curry, who had 14 points on 4 of 13 shooting. “You can’t just show up, especially on the road, and expect to win. That’s kind of cheating the game.”

Golden State (40-11) also carelessly coughed the ball up 20 times, resulting in 18 points for the home team.

“We work hard to turn the ball over in creative ways,” Kerr said. “And I thought we were really good at turning the ball over tonight.”

The Warriors were down by 18 points entering the fourth quarter.
“I’m just foolish enough to believe that we always have a chance,” Green said. “So even going into that fourth quarter, I’m like, ‘OK, here we go. All right, here comes a run. They’re playing great, but they can’t really get over 16, 18. We can cover that really quick. Here we go.’ It just ain’t never happen for us. So, it’s cool.”

Kerr said he expects his team to bounce back. Golden State has two more games remaining on this three-game road trip, with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, followed by the Nuggets on Saturday.

With all the miscues and lackadaisical plays, there was agreement within the team that one end of the court proved to be the problem Tuesday night.

“We didn’t have any aggressiveness on the defensive end to start the game,” Curry said. “They obviously made shots and made plays, but we didn’t do anything to kind of slow them down, slow their confidence down in the first quarter. … The issue tonight was defense.”

]]>http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?feed=rss2&p=490China Boston Red Sox MLB Authentic Jerseys Womens Supply Onlinehttp://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=47
http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=47#commentsThu, 25 Jan 2018 06:12:17 +0000http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=47Even before Shohei Ohtani decided on the Los Angeles Angels on Friday afternoon, a number of MLB officials told ESPN that they wouldn’t be surprised if his decision, regardless of the team, spawned an immediate investigation into how the process played out.

Commissioner Rob Manfred and other MLB officials have been giving the Ohtani case extraordinary scrutiny, with repeated warnings of bans and penalties for anyone found in violation.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Prized prospect Ohtani to sign with Angels
Shohei Ohtani, a 23-year-old Japanese right-hander with a 100 mph fastball and devastating left-handed swing, picked the Angels over six other teams, his agent said Friday.
The challenge for the Angels: What comes next with Shohei Ohtani
After weeks of wooing, persuading Shohei Ohtani to sign might be the easy part. Now the Angels need to figure out how to sustain his success as a two-way star.
Which Shohei Ohtani is the most FUN Shohei Ohtani?
The Japanese star could be a great pitcher or a not-so great pitcher in MLB. As a hitter, he might have a similar range. We mix and match the projections to find the most entertaining Ohtani.

Prior to Otani’s agreement with the Angels on Friday afternoon, various team officials said they expect a layers-deep review into how the decision was made.

MLB, after finalizing its agreement with the Nippon Baseball League on Dec. 1 that allowed bidding to begin, issued a memo to all teams and baseball executives that contained paragraphs again warning against any form of cheating.

Teams were told, again, that they could attempt to persuade the two-way pitching and hitting star from Japan to join their team based on the merits of their respective organizations and their cities, but they were warned against discussing future contracts and business relationships, and against third-party machinations — paying off someone who might have influence with Ohtani, for example, or making quid-pro-quo promises outside of the rules.

“The commissioner’s attention on this has been unprecedented,” a team executive told ESPN. “There’s a lot of avenues for cheating, and I think [MLB is] well-aware of that.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred and other MLB officials have repeatedly warned teams about the rules involved in the pursuit of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File
Baseball has seen two high-profile violations of its international signing rules in recent years since MLB and the players’ association negotiated spending limits on international signings in the collective bargaining agreement that went into effect in 2012, leveling the playing field for small- and mid-market teams.

The Boston Red Sox were deemed to have violated rules and were stripped of some prospects they had signed in addition to a one-year ban on signing international amateur players. Last month, after MLB had received a flood of tips and complaints from other teams, the Atlanta Braves received the most significant penalties ever levied for rule-breaking with international signings, and Braves general manager John Coppolella joined Pete Rose and others on the short list of those given a lifetime ban.

Manfred has worked to regulate the Wild West nature of international signings, an arena in which off-the-book payoffs and cheating were standard operating procedure for decades. In the years since, MLB began exerting much greater effort in enforcing its own rules.
Said another club official to ESPN: “I think the perspective of the commissioner’s office has been, ‘Hey, we set up this system to limit your [financial] exposure, so you need to play by the rules.’”

Prior to his decision, as Ohtani moved closer to jumping from the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan to an MLB club, Manfred and Dan Halem, the commissioner’s chief legal officer, warned club executives time and again about following the rules in their pursuit of the 23-year-old star.

“I can’t recall a topic more fully communicated with teams than the rules of engagement with Ohtani,” another official told ESPN.

Manfred and Halem have spoken repeatedly at owners meetings about the potential for rule-breaking. At the most recent general manager meetings, last month in Orlando, Florida, Halem reiterated to club officials that any team found guilty of violating the rules would be hit hard.

]]>http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?feed=rss2&p=470Sale Womens San Francisco 49ers Jerseys Authentic Supply 2018 Chinahttp://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=44
http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=44#commentsWed, 17 Jan 2018 23:54:22 +0000http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=44The NFL’s 2018 offseason could feature the rarest of moments: an upper-level quarterback available on the free-agent market in the prime of his career. That’s the expectation for Kirk Cousins, who has spent the past two years playing as the Washington Redskins’ franchise player.

Anticipation over Cousins’ likely availability, and presumably precedent-setting price tag, clouds what could be an unusually deep free-agent class. The following is a ranking of the NFL’s 50 most notable players with expiring contracts.

Keep in mind several won’t be on this list in March. Some could face the franchise tag when the franchise/transition period begins Feb. 20, while others could re-sign with their current teams before the market opens on March 12.
1. Kirk Cousins, QB
Team: Washington Redskins | Age entering 2018 season: 30

After two years under the franchise tag, with combined earnings of nearly $44 million, Cousins has a chance to experience a rarity for upper-level quarterbacks: a true bidding war for his services. Unless the Redskins franchise him for a third time to the tune of $34 million, Cousins could set a new bar for NFL contracts.
2. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
Team: San Francisco 49ers | Age entering 2018 season: 26

The 49ers acquired Garoppolo from the Patriots in October on an expiring contract — without negotiating an extension. His brilliant debut as their starter ensured a maximum payday, either through the franchise tag or a long-term deal. It’s hard to imagine the 49ers allowing him to leave, unless they are not prepared to pay him $20 million-plus annually after an end-of-season tryout in which he completed 118 of 176 passes for 1,542 yards and six touchdowns en route to a 5-0 finish.

Jeff Teague left the Wolves’ 128-125 win over the visiting Denver Nuggets late in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury. An MRI is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Teague was hurt when Nuggets guard Gary Harris rolled over Teague’s planted left leg in a scrum for the ball.

Teague went down to the floor and stayed there before gingerly walking off the court.

In his first year with the Wolves, the 29-year-old Teague is averaging 13.4 points and 7.2 assists per game.

If Teague is lost for any length of time, Tyus Jones would likely step into the starting point guard role.

“As always, it’s whatever the team needs me to do,” Jones said Wednesday night. “I’m hoping Jeff is all right. You never want to see anyone go out with an injury. But it’s the next man up. I’m ready to help this team in any way.”

Minnesota (22-13) plays four of its next five games on the road, starting Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Not after throwing three interceptions in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 44-33 loss to San Francisco at Levi’s Stadium.

One bad game in the past month shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he’s still playing the best football of his career and the Jaguars (10-5) are AFC South champions in large part because of the way he has played in 2017. Yet that’s not going to stop the Bortles criticism from getting louder this week.

Not from his teammates, though.

“Personally, I’m still riding with 5,” cornerback Aaron Colvin said, referencing Bortles’ jersey number. “I have all the confidence in the world. I know he’s going to play perfect when we need him to play perfect. Everybody has a bad game.

“I know him. I know his competitive drive, and I know he’ll come back next week and dominate.”

It’s interesting how the rest of the football world views Bortles, though, because there seems to be no middle ground. It was hard to find anyone outside of the Jaguars organization who believed in Bortles after he led the NFL in turnovers (63) from 2013 to 2016, and his five-interception training camp practice and preseason benching (for a week, anyway) ramped up the criticism even more.
Blake Bortles threw three interceptions in Sunday’s loss, but the quarterback wasn’t getting much help from Leonard Fournette and the Jags’ ground game. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
It wasn’t until the 25-year-old was the NFL’s highest-rated quarterback (128.6) in the first three weeks of December, when he threw for 903 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions that perception started to turn. Some of his most vocal critics, including ESPN’s Ryan Clark, even apologized publicly.

But Sunday’s performance is probably going to swing things back the other way, but it really shouldn’t. Bortles didn’t play exceptionally well, but the Jaguars didn’t lose to the 49ers only because of the way he played.

Bortles completed 32 of 50 passes for a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions, including one that was returned 50 yards for a touchdown. That pass bounced off the hand of rookie receiver Keelan Cole, who stopped his crossing route. After the game, Bortles said he was to blame because Cole read the coverage correctly and he shouldn’t have tried to lead him with the pass.

The second interception was on Bortles. He failed to get the ball over defensive back K’Waun Williams, who made a one-handed grab. The third pick was a miscommunication because Cole was supposed to break off his route and didn’t.

“It starts with me and turning the ball over and then kind of everybody understanding their assignments and executing them,” Bortles said. “I thought we had a good plan going into the week. We just have to find ways to move the ball, score points and take care of it [not turn the ball over].”

That was the first time Bortles had thrown three interceptions since Week 3 of the 2016 season. He now has 21 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 2017, which is nearly a 2-1 TD-to-interception ratio. He’s still on pace to commit the fewest turnovers of his career.

Plus, he has been playing without his No. 1 receiver (Allen Robinson) all season, hasn’t had Allen Hurns (ankle) for the past six games, and didn’t have Marqise Lee (ankle) on Sunday. His top four receivers Sunday were Cole (now with 38 career catches), fourth-round pick Dede Westbrook (26), first-year player Jaydon Mickens (six) and third-year player Jaelen Strong (31), who was active for the first time since Week 2 with Houston.

NFL Playoff Machine
See what the latest playoff picture looks like and simulate your own playoff scenarios.
NFL Playoff Machine
Cole, Westbrook and Mickens have played pretty well the past several weeks, but at some point that inexperience was going to catch up to the Jaguars, and that’s what happened Sunday.
“For sure,” said tight end Marcedes Lewis. “Like I said before, it’s better to happen now so we can correct it moving forward rather than in two weeks where it’s too late.”

It’s easy to lay the bulk of the blame for Sunday’s loss at Bortles’ feet. He does deserve some, but the defense gave up 131 yards on the ground, let Jimmy Garoppolo throw for 242 yards and two scores while only sacking him once, and ended up with three 15-yard penalties for taunting, unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness.

Take out Bortles’ 31 yards rushing and the Jaguars’ running backs averaged 2.7 yards per carry, so he didn’t get much help there, either.

Bortles didn’t play particularly well Sunday, but that doesn’t change the fact that this has been the best season of his career and the Jaguars are no longer winning games in spite of him.

A couple of days after the Patriots 27-24 win in Pittsburgh, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco reenacted Jesse James’ controversial lunge at the goal line during the start of practice. With both hands clutching the ball, Flacco moved in slow motion falling toward the end zone like the Steelers tight end to once again explain how the officials got it right to overturn James’ potential winning touchdown on instant replay.

“You try to make it really obvious for them,” Flacco said. “It is like, ‘OK, if you are making a catch when you go to the ground and when the ball hits the ground it completely comes out, I don’t think any of us would argue that that is not a catch.’ So, when it barely comes out and hits the ground, it is no different than if came completely out. It is just not a catch.”

On the flight back from Cleveland on Sunday night, the Ravens watched the last minute of the game. Players said Flacco was adamant that James didn’t maintain possession as he went to the ground.

“He’s probably going to be a referee when he finishes. He was on it,” wide receiver Mike Wallace said of Flacco. “I thought it was a catch, just because he crossed the plane. I didn’t think he caught it and went straight to the ground. I thought he moved and then … Whatever. Long story short, I thought it was a catch. I was wrong, OK, alright. Whatever they do, they do. We just roll [with it]; we just play.”

The catch rule (aka the Calvin Johnson rule) remains a source of confusion for some in the Ravens locker room. Players acknowledge they don’t really know what is a catch and what is not.

NFL Playoff Machine
See what the latest playoff picture looks like and simulate your own playoff scenarios.
NFL Playoff Machine

• NFL Week 16 playoff scenarios
This rule hits closer to home to some more than others in Baltimore. Cornerback Brandon Carr was with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, when Dez Bryant’s catch-that-wasn’t ended his team’s season in the divisional round at Lambeau Field.

“They are going to tweak the rules every year,” Carr said. “Let’s just go back to playing old school football and take out half of these penalties and different calls they have added in the game the last seven years.”

The Ravens were involved in a wild final minutes in Pittsburgh just the week before. Baltimore couldn’t hold onto a nine-point lead with 6:44 remaining as the Steelers rallied and won on a Chris Boswell 46-yard field goal in the last minute.
The Steelers’ heartbreaking ending to the Patriots on Sunday — which took the AFC’s top seed away from Pittsburgh — even elicited some sympathy from the Ravens toward their biggest rival.

“It is a shame, but because of the way the play unfolded, in my opinion and I think in the opinion of the rulebook, he [Jesse James] didn’t yet have established possession, and that is the bottom line,” Flacco said. “You can talk about it all you want and all that. I think they will move on from it pretty quickly. They are still a good football team, but that stuff happens throughout the course of 16 games. Crazy plays like that happen, and you just have to deal with it.”

How would Wallace define a catch?

“The referee says ‘first down,’ the dude does [the arm motion]; it’s a first down,” Wallace said. “That’s what I would rule a catch, because I don’t think anyone knows the rules anymore. We just go off whatever [the officials] say. If they say it’s a catch, it’s a catch. If not, that’s not going to change anything anyway.”

]]>http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?feed=rss2&p=360Stitched Cheap Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Storehttp://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=33
http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=33#commentsWed, 13 Dec 2017 11:05:41 +0000http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=33LOS ANGELES — Patrick Beverley crowded chest-to-chest with Lonzo Ball before an inbounds pass in the first quarter while they were 94 feet from the basket. Moments later at midcourt, Beverley emphatically fouled the Lakers’ rookie point guard and watched him fall.

Ball still might turn out to be Los Angeles’ basketball star of the future, even after his awfully quiet NBA debut.

The present in this town still belongs to the Clippers, even without Chris Paul.

Lou Williams added 12 points in the Clippers’ first game since Paul spurned the perennial playoff team after six years and forced an offseason trade to Houston. The Clippers will have a new look this season after adding Beverley’s tenacity and several new scorers, but they were still miles ahead of their Staples Center co-tenants in both teams’ season openers.

Beverley and the Clippers got little trouble from Ball, who had three points, four assists and nine rebounds in 29 minutes during the first game for the No. 2 overall pick from UCLA. He had about 40 friends and family members in the stands, including his voluble father, LaVar.

“We got blown out, so I didn’t play too well,” Ball said. “It was great to start out, but all I care about is winning, and we lost today. We’ve got to regroup.”

Ball is expected to revitalize his hometown team this season, but the rookie started out with all the nerves and mistakes that might be expected from any 19-year-old with the weight of a 16-time NBA champion franchise on his slender shoulders.

Beverley, who joined the Clippers in Paul’s trade to the Rockets, had 10 points while introducing Ball to high-level NBA defense.

“I just had to set the tone,” Beverley said. “I told him after the game, due to all the riff-raff his dad brings, he’s going to get a lot of people coming at him. He has to be ready for that, and I let him know after the game. But what a better way to start him off. I was 94 feet guarding him tonight. Welcome his little young ass to the NBA.”

Along with a handful of good-looking passes and a 3-pointer late in the first half, Ball went 1 for 6 from the field and committed two turnovers.

“He’s going to be a great talent, but he has to go through the tough times,” Beverley said. “He’ll appreciate this when he looks back on it.”

Brook Lopez scored 20 points in his debut for the Lakers, and Jordan Clarkson added 18.

“I wasn’t happy with what we gave our fans tonight,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “Obviously I heard the (boos), and we deserved it at those times.”

TIP-INS

Clippers: Danilo Gallinari had 11 points in his LA debut. … Coach Doc Rivers answered back at Paul, who said he didn’t like the Clippers’ team culture in a documentary that will be released this week by ESPN. “Listen, when you leave, you should just leave,” Rivers said. “I don’t think you have to try to burn the house down or justify why you left. That’s what I would say to it. I like our culture.

Lakers: New G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed this game while beginning a two-game suspension for getting arrested in March and later pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. … Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers’ other first-round pick, had eight points in his NBA debut. … Andrew Bogut, the former Golden State center, had three fouls and three turnovers in his Lakers debut.

NEW BACKCOURT

Even with several new contributors, the Clippers already resemble a hard-nosed, tough-minded veteran team led by Beverley. Milos Teodosic, the other starting guard in Rivers’ revamped lineup, hit two 3-pointers in the 30-year-old Serbian rookie’s NBA debut.

MAGIC BALL
It was a busy night for Lakers executive Magic Johnson, also a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Magic watched from the tunnel while Staples Center showed Game 5 of the NL Championship Series on the scoreboard during pregame warmups, and he celebrated behind the scenes when the Dodgers clinched their first World Series berth since 1988 during the first half. “I’m just happy for all the players and all the Dodger fans across the world,” Johnson said. “This is a moment that I’ll never forget. I was torn, because I wanted to be here for Lonzo Ball’s first game as a Laker, but my heart is in Chicago. … I’m so happy with Clayton Kershaw, that he can finally pitch in the World Series. He deserves this moment, and all our players deserve this moment, too.” Staples Center erupted in cheers when the Dodgers recorded the final out in Chicago, and again when the final out appeared on the video board.

UP NEXT

Clippers: Host Suns on Saturday.

Lakers: At Suns on Friday.
Check out the team sites for the LA Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers for more game coverage.

]]>http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?feed=rss2&p=3302018 Football New Supply Oakland Raiders Green Jerseys Chinahttp://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=29
http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=29#commentsMon, 04 Dec 2017 09:46:02 +0000http://www.wohlesalejerseyschina.cc/?p=29ALAMEDA, Calif. — Jack Del Rio has a number in mind when it comes to how many victories it may take for the Oakland Raiders to return to the playoffs.

Are you sitting down? Good.

Because in his estimation, it probably takes 10 victories, and the Raiders ended the first half of the season just 3-5. As quarterback Derek Carr said, on a totally different subject, mind you, it’s simple math, really.
Coach Jack Del Rio, left, and quarterback Derek Carr are both remaining optimistic about the Raiders’ postseason chances despite the team’s 4-5 record. Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders have to go 7-1 in the second half of the season to get to 10-6, and at least Sunday night’s 27-24 victory at the Miami Dolphins got them started, right? Right?

“I think this year is one of those years where it’s very competitive throughout the league,” Del Rio said Monday in his weekly media conference. “I don’t know that there’s one team that’s so dominant that everybody shudders at the thought of playing them. I think there are a lot of good teams, and a lot of very capable teams. It’s a matter of going out and executing well and playing good football and finding a way to win on Sunday.”

Del Rio referenced the Philadelphia Eagles, who have the best record in the NFL at 8-1 but also have three victories of less than five points each. Plus, their lone loss was to the Kansas City Chiefs, a team the Raiders already beat.

The Raiders, meanwhile, have lost to the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers by a combined seven points. And how much more alluring does a 6-3 record sound than 4-5 at the moment?

Oh, and Oakland plays at Philadelphia on Monday Night Football on Christmas night.

“The bottom line is you keep playing, keep improving,” Del Rio said. “You want to get hot at the right time. For us, there’s no time like the present to get hot.

“Hey, this is reality. This is reality in the National Football League. It doesn’t mean that [10 wins] necessarily gets it done — sometimes less gets it done — but this is just to understand where you are at the halfway point. We’ve got very little margin for error. We need to get it rolling now. The urgency needs to pick up.”

The Raiders will enjoy their bye week first, though, before playing a “home game” in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Nov. 19 against the New England Patriots.

Del Rio’s mantra heading into the Miami game was that Oakland needed to get its “mojo” back if it wanted to make a run.

“One game at a time, man, one game at a time,” Raiders All-Pro edge-rusher Khalil Mack said after Sunday night’s game. “That’s part of the mojo, as well — not focusing on two games from now, three games from now. Putting all the focus on one team, and getting one win at a time.”

We’ve already broken down the remainder of the Raiders’ schedule, which is brutal. In fact, their last seven opponents have a combined winning percentage of .552.

But after last weekend’s games, with Kansas City losing its third game in four weeks, the Broncos getting smashed by the Eagles and the Chargers idle, the Raiders are suddenly in second place in the AFC West, with just four teams ahead of them in the wild-card race.

Too soon to contemplate such things?
“You know, different people focus on different things,” Del Rio said. “I think, for us, the focus wants to be about just playing well and the process of playing well and preparing and all of that. But, you can’t help but look.

“Heck, I’m looking all the time. That’s just the fan aspect, but the professional aspect, we have to just focus on the process of what goes into playing really well, understanding your assignment, being accountable, doing your job, basic stuff. … Just keep stacking wins and find a way to win the next one and we have a tough challenge going against the Patriots.”

And keep this in mind: while the Raiders were a wild card at 12-4 last year, the Dolphins were the second wild-card team at 10-6.

Rumor CentralJon Morosi of MLB Network reports the Rangers have “sustained interest” in 30-year-old free-agent right-handers Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn. Both Cobb and Lynn would come at a higher cost than Fister, whose deal reportedly is worth $4 million and includes a team option for 2019.

Cobb posted a 12-10 record with a 3.66 ERA in 29 starts for the Rays in 2017. Lynn was 11-8 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in a league-high 33 starts for the Cardinals.

The Rangers also are among the teams interested in free-agent right-hander Jake Arrieta, who will have an even higher price tag.

Adding pitching help is a priority for the Rangers, who traded away Yu Darvish over the summer and could lose Andrew Cashner to free agency.

James Harden scored 29 points, Clint Capela had 17 points and 13 rebounds and the Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 105-83 on Saturday night for their eighth win in nine games.

Paul added 17 points and six assists in his second game since returning from a left knee injury. Paul and Harden combined for 10-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc, and the Rockets were 18 for 43 from 3-point range overall.

Memphis played without point guard Mike Conley, who missed his second game with left Achilles tenderness. Brandan Wright left in the second quarter with a right groin injury.

The Grizzlies have dropped four in a row, and Marc Gasol called their play “embarrassing and sad.”

“There’s no consistency,” said Gasol, who had 15 points. “It’s going to be really hard to win consistently. You might win games every now and then, you might even stay at .500, but that’s not enough. That’s not what we built here for 10 years. That’s not it. That’s not what we stood for.”

Chandler Parsons led Memphis with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and JaMychal Green also scored 15.

Houston (13-4) was in control the entire game. Memphis led only once, by one point in the first quarter.

The Rockets used their normal 3-point shooting prowess to build an 18-point lead in the first half. Houston went 11 of 24 from long range in the half.

Memphis pulled within two late in the second quarter, but Houston led 59-50 at the break. The Rockets continued to pull away after halftime, limiting the Grizzlies to just 33 points in the last two quarters.

“We all know that the only way we’re going to go far in the playoffs is defensively,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “You’ve got to be a bear. Tonight, we were.”

TIP-INS

Rockets: Eric Gordon converted a four-point play late in the first half. … Houston has won five straight on the road. … Houston is 11-1 when leading after the third quarter. … Capela recorded his 11th double-double of the season. … Houston made its first 11 free throws before Nene missed one in the third quarter. .Memphis’ 83 points were a season-low for a Rockets opponent.

Grizzlies: It was Parsons’ first start of the season. … Memphis (7-8) fell below .500 for the first time this season. The Grizzlies started the season 5-1.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
The Rockets and Grizzlies split their four-game season series. They have split the season series the last five years.

FRUSTRATION

Gasol spent a good amount of time after the game explaining his feelings about the Grizzlies’ play. He said it took him 20 minutes to gather his thoughts before addressing the media.

“The only thing I can say is (I) apologize because that’s not what our fans are used to seeing,” he said. “We’ve got to figure it out, and the only way I know to do that is working.”

UP NEXT

Rockets: Host Denver on Wednesday.

Grizzlies: Host Portland on Monday night.

Check out the team sites for the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies for more game coverage.